'House of Horrors' mum Louise Turpin grins in court as she's banned from contacting children

The mother accused of torturing her children in a California 'house of horrors' smiled in court as she was ordered to stay away from the victims.

Louise Turpin, 49, and husband David, 57, were banned from contacting their 13 children until 2021 at Riverside County Court on Wednesday.

They are accused of starving the children, chaining them up to beds and torturing them at their family home in Perris, about 70 miles east of Los Angeles.

Each parent faces 94 years to life in prison if convicted on more than two dozen charges, including torture, child abuse and false imprisonment.

Louise Turpin wore a black suit to hide her metal chains and reportedly sat stony-faced for most of the proceedings.

However, she broke out into a wide smirk at one point after speaking to her lawyer. Various reports suggest the smile was aimed at her husband, who remained straight-faced.

Riverside County District Judge Emma Smith told the defendants : "You must not harass, strike, threaten, assault, follow, stalk, molest, destroy or damage property of or disturb the peace of, keep under surveillance or block the entrance of the people listed in the order.

"You must not try to get their addresses or locations and must have no electronic, telephone or written communication. You must not contact them except through your lawyer. You can’t use a third party other than your lawyer, including an investigator.”

Neither of the defendants spoke during the hearing.

The Turpins were arrested on January 14 after their malnourished 17-year-old daughter climbed out a window of the family home in Perris and called 911 on a mobile phone.

Prosecutors have called the case an example of “human depravity” - saying the children were denied food, basic hygiene and medical care and were punished for perceived infractions such as washing their hands above the wrist.

Their children range in age from two to 29.